Can-machine.



PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. I

J. M. HOTHERSALL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FIG.

INVENTOR:

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By Alzomeys,

No. 782,032; PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905- J M. HOTHERSALL.

CAN MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1003.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR:

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Patented February 7, 190.).

PATENT FFICE.

JOHN M. HOTHERSALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAN-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,032, dated February 7, 1905.

Application filed September 4, 1903. Serial No. 171,952.

To all whom it 71mg concern:

Be it known that 1, Jon): M. .HOTHERSALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful 1m provements in Can-Machines, -of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for seam- I ing and beading sheet-metal cans, and aims to provide a machine in which a can may be seamed and beaded at a single operation without any distortion or other imperfection resulting therefrom.

In its preferred form my invention includes a pair of beading-rollers, one mounted to operate upon the exterior of the can and preferably driven by frictional contact therewith and the other positively driven and arranged to operate against the interior of the can. Two seaming-rolls are provided, as usual, and the beading-rolls are timed to operate upon the can before the seam is finished, preferably while the breakingeroll is curling the edge of the bottom over the sides. The lower cancarrying chuck of the machine is preferably mounted upon a hollow shaft, suitably supported at its lower end, and the positivelydriven beading-roll is mounted cccentrically upon a stationary shaft passing through the bore of the hollow shaft, motion being communicated from the latter to the roll by any suitable connection which will permitthe concentrically-mounted chuck to drive the eccentrically-mounted roll.

My invention also includes certain other features of improvement which will be hereinafter referred to.

Referring to the drawings, in which .I have shown my invention as applied to a seamingmachine of a well-known type, Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in vertical section, of a can-machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken approximately 'on the line 3 3 in Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. .l: is a detail in section of the driving connection for the positivelyrotated beading-roll, taken on the line Min Fig. 1.

1 will first briefly describe the construction shaft is supported at its lower end upon a series.

of balls contained in a runway formed upon a stationary shaft or spindle I. The can-body, with the bottom blank, is clamped between the upper chuck c and lower chuck I, the latter being arranged to be raised and lowered by any suitable means, those provided in the present construction comprising a treadle (not shown) attached to a chain j, Fig. 2, which passes over ashcaf A, mounted in the bracket 7L, and made fast to a collar fixed to the spindle i. The treadle is held depressed by the operator in this construction until the can is seamed. To prevent rotation of the stationary spindle 4', its lower end is squared and slides in a bracket m, which is formed with a correspondingly-shaped bore to receive it. While the can is being rapidly rotated by the mechanism just described, the seaming-rolls are caused to advance in proper succession, lirst the breaking-roll, which turns down the edge of the can-bottom, and then the finishing-roll, which completes the seam. In the type of machine illustrated these rolls (indicated at u and 0, respectively) are mounted at the ends of levers p (1, which are fulcrumed at r and s, respectively, upon the ends of ad] usting-screws zf u. by means of which the seaming-rolls are set at a greater or less distance apart to accommodate different sizes of cans. The rolls are advanced to the work by suitable cams w and 'wpwhich operate to lirst moveth'e break ing-roll 11 into operative position and after a suitable interval the finishing-roll n, which completes the seam. The cams and 1/ are mounted upon a shaft .r, which also carries a worm-wheel rotated slowly by a worm .2, which itself is given motion by any suitable meansas, for instance, by being belted to a cone-pulley (l. The rolls a and ware retracted from the work and maintained in contact with the cams by springs and Z, respectively, which are confined between the frame of the machine and the rear ends of the levers p and q.

The beading mechanism provided by my invention preferably comprises two rolls Band C, the one formed with a peripheral groove and the other with ahead entering such groove and forcing the metal therein as the rolls rotate. The roll B is preferably driven by frictional contact with the can-body and is conveniently mounted upon the lever p, which carries the breaking-roll n. A bracket 0 is bolted to the under face of the lever near its outer end, and to this is fixed a second bracket (Z, which carries the roll. A bolt 6 serves to unite the brackets c and, (Z and also permits a slight adjustment of the roll relatively to the can. As shown, the rolls B and C are formed to roll an outside bead; but by reversing the arrangement of groove and bead 0n the rolls an inside bead may be formed. The roll C is, by preference, positively driven according to my invention, and in the drawings I have shown the construction which I prefer to employ for this purpose. The roll is mounted eccentrically upon the upper end of the stationary shaft or spindle Z, as shown in Fig. 1,so that it contacts with the body of the can at a point opposite the roll B. In the form shown the roll 0 is driven from the lower can-chuck e, and for this purpose the roll is provided with a pin f, Figs. 1 and 4:, which is fixed to its under side and fits within a slot 9, formed in the upper side of the chuck As the roll rotates eccentrically to the chuck the pin f slides backward and forward along the slot g. The chuck 6 may be itself rotated solely by the power imparted to it through the can from the chuck c; butl prefer that the lower chuck be positively driven, so that there is no possibility of distortion of the can. For this purpose the chuck-shaft b is provided with a gear h, Fig. 2, which meshes with a gear 2', mounted upon the upper end of a vertical shaft y", which carries at its lower end a gear it, which in turn communicates motion to a gear Z, fixed upon the tubular shaft f at a point below thebearing g. The gears 72, and Z are of equal size, as are also the gears a" and Zr, so that the chuck e is caused to rotate at the same speed as the chuck 0. To permitthe vertical movement of the chuck c, which is necessarily involved in clamping and unclamping the can, the gear Z." is formed with a face equal in width to the distance between the extremes of movement of the gear Z when the shaft f is raised and lowered.

The operation of the device will be apparent. The can-body is placed upon the lower chuck with its bottom in position, and the chuck is then raised until the can is forced against the upper chuck. The bottom is usually formed with a depression, within which the upper chuck enters whereby to center the can. Power is then applied and the can is rapidly rotated. It will be observed in the present construction, however, that the lower end of the can cannot assume a concentric position when the can is first clamped in the ma chine, for the reason that the bead upon the roll C extends beyond the normal periphery of the body of the can. As the bottom and body of the can are as yet not seamed together, however, this eccentricity is of no consequence at this time. The breaking-roll is then advanced by its cam, turning down the exposed flange of the bottom, while at the same time the beadingroll B is advanced against the can and coacting with the roll C forms the bead m, as shown. As the formation of the bead proceeds the can is forced toward a concentric position until when the bead is fully formed the can is accurately centered between the chucks. After this position is assumed the roll 0 is advanced against the can by its cam, thus rollingthe seam down in the usual manner to make a tight, joint between the bottom and body of the can. Vhen an inside bead is to be formed, however, the can may occupy a concentric position at the start and continue in such position throughout the operation. It will be observed that with either formation of bead the can either initially occupies or quickly assumes a position of concentricity, thus avoiding danger of distortion of the can and permitting the seaming devices, if such be used, to operate upon the can when the latter is accurately centered.

WVhile I have described in detail the form of machine which I prefer to use in carrying out my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the construction shown, as many changes may be made therein without departing from my invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim as my invention the following-defined novel features, substantially as hereinbefore specified, namely:

1. In a can-machine, the combination with a rotating chuck, of two beading devices, the one mounted to rotate about a stationary axis eccentric to the chuck, and operating upon the interior of the can, and the other mounted to rotate about a movable axis and operating upon the exterior of the can, and means for advancing and retracting the outer beading device.

2. In a can-machine, the combination with a rotating chuck, of two beading devices, the one mounted to rotate about a stationary axis eccentric to the chuck, and operating upon the interior of the can, and the other mounted to rotate about a movable axis and operating upon the exterior of the can, and being frictionally driven by the latter, and means for advancing and retracting the outer beading device.

3. In a can-machine, the combination with a rotatable chuck, of a beading-roll mounted to rotate within the can upon an axis eccentric to that of the chuck, and means for positively driving said beadingroll.

&. In a can-machine, the combination with a rotatable chuck, of outer and inner beading-rolls, said inner roll being separable from the chuck, and means for positively driving the latter roll.

In a can-machine, the combination with a pair of chucks, a pair of seaming-rolls, one of said rolls acting to partially seam the can, and the other to finish the seam, and a pair of beading-rolls, said parts acting to hold the can eccentrically until the bead is formed, of means for advancing said beading-rolls to the work before the finishing-roll has completed its operation.

(:3. In a can-machine, the combination with a rotatable chuck for holding the can, of a separable beading-roll mounted to rotate within the can, and means for driving said beading-roll from said chuck at a peripheral speed less than that of the chuck.

T. In a can-macl'iine, the combination with a rotating chuck, for holding the can, of a beading-roll mounted to operate within the can eccentrically of the chuck, and a connecting means between said chuck and beadingroll whereby to drive the latter from the former.

b. In a can-machine, the combination of a rotating chuck, a hollow shaft carrying said chuck, a stationary shaft within said hollow shaft, a beading-roll mounted upon said stationary shaft eccentrically of said hollow shaft, and a connecting means between said hollow shaft and beading-roll, for driving the latter from the former.

9. In a can-machine, the combination of a rotating chuck, a hollow shaft carrying said chuck, a stationary shaft within said hollow shaft, a beading-roll mounted upon said sta- 'tionary shaft eccentrically of said hollow shaft,

and a pin-and-slot connection between said chuck and beading-roll, whereby the latter is the seam, a pair of beading-rolls, the one acting within and the other acting without the can, a stationary shaft having a portion eccentric to said chucks, upon which the inner beading-roll is mounted to rotate, a connecting means between one of said chucks and said last-named roll for driving the latter, and a means for causing said beading-rolls to operate before the can-seam is finished.

11. In a can-machine, the combination of a pair of rotating chucks, a seaming-roll, a support carrying it, means for automatically advancing and retracting such support to move said roll toward and from said chuck, a member fixed to said support, and a beading-roll mounted upon said member, whereby said beading-roll is advanced, retracted and adjusted with the seaming-roll.

12. In a can-machine, the combination of a pair of rotating chucks, a seaming-roll, a support carrying it, means for automatically advancing and retracting such support to move said roll toward and from said chuck, a bracket lixed to said support, and a beadingroll mounted upon said bracket, said beading-roll being adjustable relatively to said support.

13. In a can-machine, the combination of a pair of rotating chucks, a seaming-roll, a support carrying it, means for advancing and retracting such support to move said roll toward and from said chuck, a bracket adjustably mounted on said support, and a beading-roll mounted upon said bracket, whereby the distance between said rolls may be adjusted so as to accommodate varying heights of cans.

14. In a can-machine, the combination of a witnesses.

JOHN M. HOTHERSALL. \Vitnesses:

EUGENE G. Mrnns, RENE Buntin 

